About Short Story Long

How the story went from short to long,

When I was a kid, I loved books and telling stories. According to my mother, I would ask to be read Dr. Seuss repeatedly. Once I started school, I told my mother what I’d learn, and in response she always told me “Summarize!”

My problem was, I never could.

As school continued, my love for books and writing grew, and a love for science developed. I came to love science and storytelling equally. After graduating high school, I entered post secondary under the science program, hoping to minor in english literature.

New problem: university is a lot of work, and leaves little time for reading or writing. My yearly book count dropped and my drafts became forgotten manuscripts. And then I had to start a blog for one of my classes.

And Short Story Long was born. <Insert fanfare here.>

This blog has become an archive of the books I read, and a constant reminder to keep on writing. Hope you enjoy it!

Posts you may encounter:

The Playlist. Each weekend I post a new song I’ve added to my playlist. I love music and my selection is random and diverse.

Notable Quotables. Pretty self explanatory. Usually while I read, I flag quotes I enjoy, and then compile them together in a post to be shared. Sometimes quotes come from other media.

Listopia. Sometimes Top 10 lists, or maybe a random list of things, this posts are simply lists that I’ve made up, often with lengthy commentary.

In Medias Res (IMR). Latin for “in the middle of things”, IMR posts are thoughts that come up while I’m reading a book. WARNING: Unlike Reviews, these posts are often rampant with spoilers. You have been warned…

Reviews. Any book posted in the Book Count post April 2, 2014 will have at least a review to accompany it, and (with great control) contain little to no spoilers*. Reviews usually follow a flow of analysis of plot, characters, writing, theme, and personal enjoyment.

*With certain exceptions

A Break Down of the Rating System

The rating system I use is based on personal recommendation rather than the quality of the book. The discussion of the book throughout the review usually discusses the quality, but rarely talks about how strongly I recommend it. Thus the following rating system:

Don’t Bother: books that aren’t worth the read. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Maybe: You may or may not like this book. Mixed feelings about the reading experience, but I don’t hate it.

Read: Books that I believe that you should read at least once.

Buy: You’re going to want to own this book. Because it is amazing.

Bookmarked For Life: Read this book. Love this book. Reread it. Feel all the things. Reread it again. Seriously, if you don’t you’re missing out.

Each rating will be directed to a certain audience: lovers of chick-lit, nerds, etc.